Kevin Garnett

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Minnesota Nice is at it again. First the Vikings drafted Randy Moss and he becomes a superstar. The fans love him; he packs the Metrodome year after year, establishing himself as one of the all-time best. Then he is traded away, and after several years in New England and Oakland the Vikings trade to bring Moss back. Continue Reading →

Well, the worst-kept secret in the NBA finally became reality August 23 when the Timberwolves pulled the switch and traded All-Star Kevin Love to Cleveland. As it turned out, the Timberwolves traded more than just Love. The deal involved three teams: Minnesota, Cleveland and Philadelphia. Who got the best of the deal? As always, everybody is happy, and if you listen to them — Minnesota, Cleveland and Philadelphia — all say they did well. Continue Reading →

The Timberwolves have already guaranteed themselves a better season than last year when they won just 31 games. Not many teams can say that in this town — not the Vikings, Twins, Gophers men’s basketball, Gophers women’ hockey. As for the Wild, we’ll see. The Timberwolves with 34 wins are hanging around the .500 mark. That is good for 10th place in the rugged NBA Western Conference. Continue Reading →

While local media types flew to a former Minnesota Timberwolves player in town, asking him once again what it’s like to play against his former team, this reporter opted instead to hang around a native Minneapolis player’s locker. Alan Anderson played his prep ball here, his college ball at Michigan State, and now is in his fifth NBA season with New Jersey. “I’m blessed,” admitted the 6’-6” guard/forward after his 11-point effort in a bad loss to the host Wolves. Anderson signed as a free agent with the Nets in July after one year in Toronto. He logged his “basketball years” in China, Russia, Croatia, Israel and Spain as well as in the NBA Development League. Continue Reading →

Will this be the year the Timberwolves make a run for a title? Will they return to the playoffs for the first time since Kevin Garnett-Sam Cassell-Latrell Sprewell drove the franchise to the Western Conference Finals? This is year 25 for the Timberwolves to celebrate a quarter of a century of no banners. When I started covering sports in this town back in 1978 the NBA did not exist. After 11 games, the 7-4 Timberwolves are one of the league’s most entertaining teams. They get up and down the floor. Continue Reading →

Because of my November 7, 2012 column (“The smartest White team in the NBA: T-Wolves team return to the 1950s?”), we took heat from those who took exception with our prediction that there would be a “day of reckoning” (being fired) if David Kahn’s “smartest White team” strategy didn’t result in at least 45 wins (it was disastrous; they won only 31). As I wrote in that November 7 column: “Play the best players, whether all White, all Black or a combination. To have the best game possible, Commissioner Stern has insisted on ‘color blind’ drafting/signing. So why not the Timberwolves?” Thus, get the fans “the best players playing so their teams have the best chance to win. It is quite clear that owner Glenn Taylor is of the same mind set.”

My prediction was the fruit of my being a life-long sports analyst/journalist/fan with a deep sense of the game’s history. Continue Reading →

It’s been a long time coming, but the Wildcats of Kentucky have quenched their thirst for a title. John Calipari in just his third year wins his first NCAA Championship 67-59 over the Kansas Jayhawks before 70,000 in New Orleans. Man, can Calipari recruit: Previously at Memphis he recruited NBA MVP Derrick Rose, who after leading Memphis to the NCAA Championship game was drafted number one in the NBA by the Chicago Bulls. Kentucky finished 38-2, losing to only Indiana and Vanderbilt during the season as they navigated the NCAA field of 72 teams to stand alone number one. It’s the eighth time that Kentucky has won the NCAA Men’s crown, their first since 1998 when Gophers coach Tubby Smith won it last in the Bluegrass State. Continue Reading →